The curious case of Kasich's slow-to-emerge K-12 numbers

Here’s what reporters have been demanding, and educators awaiting, for a week – the
school
district funding numbers underlying Gov. John Kasich’s proposed K-12 budget.

The route to their release, dating to a week ago today when Kasich pitched his plans to school
superintendents, was tortuous.

Reporters seeking the district funding numbers first were told they were the personal notes of a
Kasich education adviser and were not a public record since they had not been shared with anyone
else.

Then, Kasich’s office advised that yes, the figures had been shared with the Office of Budget
and Management, but they were not forthcoming.

Earlier this week, reporters were told there were problems with the numbers and they still were
being polished. (We’re still searching for the exemption in law that allows records to be withheld
because they may contain an error.) The district funding numbers
finally
were released yesterday afternoon.

Ohio’s public records law requires records to be made immediately available for in-person
inspection on demand. It didn’t happen in this case. (And, Kasich's office continues to withhold
its original set of district funding numbers.)

The Kasich administration routinely informs reporters and others that their records requests are
in line behind others, that requests are processed in the order in which they are received by the
office’s slammed lawyers.

However, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled: “No pleading of too much expense, or too much time
involved, or too much interference with normal duties, can be used … to evade the public’s right to
inspect and obtain a copy of the public records within a reasonable time.”

The school-district funding numbers, nothing more than a spreadsheet, did not require redaction
or legal review, so that was no justification for the delay in their release.

The bottom line: The Kasich administration apparently determined the numbers would be released
on their terms and time and not before, public records requests aside.